To Love Another
by Dustal Gray
Summary: Death Note and Petite Cossette crossover. Do you know how it feels to love the very person you're Not with? This is based on that: Marchello, Light, Cossette, and Misa. Each pair planned to meet at one spot. but what if one finds the other first?


6/15/10**... **

Her legs were crossed delicately together under her thin black dress, while she sucks the sweet strawberry milkshake out of the thin white straw, the thick, black masscere on her eyelashes forcing her vivid blue eyes to stand out even more, making the male waiters blush whenever she gave them a wink, or even a small smile.

Her name is Misa. And it is just another Tuesday afternoon at the cafe.

A waiter walks over to her table now, and sits down, offering her a huge smile, and another milkshake.

"Look, I got a boyfriend." said Misa, grinning wickedly. "So you should go ahead and give up, dude."

The young man's face fell, looking very disappointed. But he doesn't leave. Still smiling, the waiter leans closer to the girl, and said, "Are you sure?"

Misa's eyes narrowed, her lips pursing dangerously. "Yep." she says. "And he's on his way right now."

The waiter's eyes narrow, his posture becoming seductive. "I'm not worried about him..."

"You should be!" replies Misa happily. "He's a killer, you know."

"A...killer?" the young man asks, looking startled.

"He's got a very nice notebook, too..." the girl said enigmatically. Misa pulls her strawberry milkshake closer, and sips on it.

Just then, a man walks in, and the waiter gasps, turning around too quickly, meeting the other man's stoney gaze. The man who just walked in holds a large notebook under one arm, and small pencil box in his left hand. Seeing the man, the waiter stumbles out of the booth, apologizing to the man, then to Misa. Misa ignores the waiter and looks at the man who just came in- who isn't her boyfriend.

The girl watches with wide eyes as the man slides into the booth across from her. His long fingers lace through his shoulder-length, brown hair, out of his eyes. And he smiles at her with such a sadistic look in his eyes, that Misa leans back against the booth, sliding her hand into her purse, touching the dark leather of the notebook... Oh, I hope he's not one of those creeps! she thinks.

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you," said the man, his dark brown eyes never leaving her blue ones. "You seem...so familiar."

"Well, duh!" snorts Misa. "So you're that kind of guy, huh? One of those fanatics who dont know my name?" The girl offers her hand, saying, "I'm Misa-Misa. The model for almost every commercial? On the cover of half-a-dozen magazines? Yep. That's me."

The man takes the girl's hand- his large hand making her's seem like a child's- bringing it to his lips.

Misa's cheeks flush up when the stranger kisses her hand, and she pulls it away from him, saying, "Hey, what's the big idea?"

The man reaches over quickly, snatching both of Misa's hands in his.

Misa stares frightfully at the man, feeling threatened.

"Tell me who you _really _are, girl." he told her.

Misa swallows hard, and feels a tightness build in her chest. Show him who's boss! she tells herself. Misa turns her pretty head away and glared at nothing. "I already told you who I am. And besides, I dont even know who you are!" Misa looks back at the man when she feels his large hands release hers. She watches the hands vanish under the table.

"My name is Marchello Orlando." replies the man.

"I knew that!" snapped Misa, since his name appears plainly in red letters above his head, then she hesitated. Wondering if she had said too much. I have to lie, she thinks urgently.

"You've heard about me, then?" asks Marchello softly.

"Yeah!" laughs Misa nervously, lying. "I know all about what you do."

"Would you like for me to make one of you?"

Misa hesitates again, filling the awkward gap by sucking the milkshake from her straw once more. What is he talking about? The girl bites her lip, then judges the man by what he has with him; a pencil box? Notebook? Surely he's not another Death Note carrier?

Marchello waits patiently, and Misa watches with sudden interest as he puts the notebook and pencil box on the table for her to see. "You would make a lovely addition to my book," he says at last. "It's not often one sees a youthful beauty such as your self."

Misa busts out laughing, then blushes, realizing he was serious. "I got posters and photographs," she says quickly. "I could give you one of those- it'd be easier."

"Please..." Marchello leans forward in his seat; Misa automatically hides her hands in her lap. "Please do me the honor of letting me draw you."

Misa's heart flutters in her chest, a warmth spreading through her spine. This guy is serious... I dont think he's a pervert or anything... I've had guys take me out just to get a few personal snap-shots, so why should this be any different? Heck, he mgiht even pay me! "Sure!" Misa says, "I'll let you draw me. Where are-"

Marchello stands up suddenly, putting his things under his arm. He walks foreword and offers his hand to her. She takes his hand and he helps her out of the booth. His eyes stare deeply into hers, making her feel tipsy.

His hand laced in hers, she takes her outside, and around the back of the cafe, where nothing is present but two garbage cans and a white backdoor. Marchello releases Misa's hand and strides over tot he cans, then takes them by the handle and moves them out of the way. He tells Misa to stand against the wall.

Misa walks over to the fall, her face creased in disgust. But aside from a new mystery stains, Misa saw nothing terribly gross stuck to the surface. She leans against it casually, trying to smile.

"No, no," Marchello says, shaking his head at her.

Misa's eyes widen. "What?" she asks.

He flips open his sketch-notebook and holds a pencil between two trembling fingers. "You look forced," he tells me. "I want you to smile, if you are happy."

This sets Misa's face on fire, and she grins stupidly at Marchello.

Marchello nods once, pleased, then begins to sketch Misa's beauty into his notebook.

**...**

The door to the cafe opened as a young man enters, then he grabs the door before it shuts, holding it open as a even younger girl walks towards the cafe.

The young man's name is Light. And he can not stop staring at the girl. At first he thought she was someone he knew; his girlfriend. But he checked himself, realizing he was mistaken.

Walking in with a patient ease, the girl carries herself as a young princess would; graceful, yet restless. She wears a short, black dress with white ruffles on all edges, complete with a black bonnet. Light's mouth hangs open, him shocked at her formal dress.

"Thankyou," she says quietly, passing under his arm as he holds the door open for her. Light continues to stare after her, and she turns her face to him.

Light gasps inwardly at her starling beauty.

This young girl's eyes are very blue, covered by a set of thick, black lashes, standing out with perfection against her pale, clean face. Though there is something childish about her, Light feels a deep stirring within him to figure out who she is.

He follows her when she sits down at an empty booth, and light joins her on the opposite side. "Hi." he says. "I couldn't help but stare-"

"Everyone stares at me..." the girl interrupts, staring at the table, on which her black-gloved hands lay like withered leaves, seeming un-alarmed that some stranger just sat down without being invited.

Light blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean?" he asks.

"Everyone wants to paint a portrait of me..." she whispers. "They love me because I am beautiful... But no one will know who I am...who I am...inside..."

Light feels the urge to leave the girl right then- leave her little problems behind before he gets involved. But...his hand reaches slowly across the table, and takes one of hers into his. "Don't worry." he says gently. "Not everyone is like that."

She raises her head slowly, meeting Light's eyes.

Something inside Light melted coldly at that moment, and he wanted more than anything to kiss the girl for looking so sad- if only to make her smile. Then he thought of Misa, and he let the girl's hand go. He could not deny the sudden guilt he felt when he heard the young girl whimper of sorrow when he stopped touching her.

"i used to think this world was happy," said the girl.

Light stares at her, his heart tightening. Is she about to talk about me? About Kira? he wonders.

"I used to think they world would always be happy, and that life was a happy place; a place where only happy dreams exist..." the girl continues quietly. Her head had lowered when she started talking, but now she raises it again to look into Light's brown eyes. "You remind me of Marchello." she tells him. "You seem to want to help me, though I do not know you, or you me..."

Light says, "My name is Light. And this world is only going to be happy and good again if evil is whiped from this world."

"Evil...?" the girl asks. "Evil can never die...it lives in the shadows of nightmares, it lives in the bowls of jealousy, and it thrives in the mouths of the newborns: As long as mankind continues to exist, so will evil..."

Light slams his fist into the table. "No!" he objects quickly. "No," he repeats, more quietly when a few waiters and customers look their way. "If all of the evil men and women die, then there is no such thing as evil. As long as it isnt there anymore, then we have a chance to live."

"I don't understand...who is 'we'...?" asks the girl, staring down at her lap, now.

Light unballs his fists, feeling more calm. " 'We' stands for the good people of earth who want the good things in world to come back; 'we' are the people who act out of love, rather than watch another man suffer, and not do anything about it. 'We' are the ones who are willing to reap the dark harvest, and plant the seeds of forgiveness."

When the girl looks up, Light feels upset to see her crying. The girl shakes her head suddenly, wiping away her tears. She apologizes, then adds quickly, "I wish it were that easy, Light. I just...can't see how that is possible to achieve."

Light does this without a single first thought; he pulls out the Death Note, slapping it on the table. "With this." he says firmly. "This is a weapon- a tool- that can kill whoever's name is written it in." He watches as the girl leans over the table, her eyes wide, examining the book. "I use it to kill the evil people of this world; the justice they deserve for their crimes."

"Death Note..." she whispers the title.

Light nods. "Yes." He feels as if he had gained someone much more than an apprentice; according to his heart, he feels as if he would sooner kill Misa with his bare hands then let this strange, nameless girl vanish from his world. "Will you help me?" he asks.

The girl, blinking back tears. "Help you with what, Light?" she asks.

Light's heart skips a beat. Does she not understand? Should I really risk this? "Help me rebuild the New World." I tell her. "Help me save it from rotting. You and I. Together."

The girl's eyes close, gratitude flooding her emotions. "Yes, Light..." she says quietly, almost monotone. "I will help you..." she looks up into his face. "_Light_..."

When she says his name that last time, Light felt as if she was hinting for something more. And he was willing to give himself to her. Fuck Misa, he thought. She was useless from the start! But this girl...this...what is her name...?

"Thankyou for agreeing to help me with this," Light says, smiling gently. "It's nice to know that we have a common interest for saving this terrible world... By the way, what is your name?"

"Cossette..." says the girl, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "My name is Cossette."

Light leans forward towards her, his eyes grave. I have to tell her... he thinks to himself. She has to know what she is dealing with. "Do you know what a Shinigami is?" he asks her carefully.

She nods.

"A few years ago, a Shinigami dropped his notebook- this Death Note- onto Earth." he hesitated, but the girl's expression did not change from the blank stare he gave him. "And I picked it up- now that it is mine, I also have that Shinigami following me around- kind of like a contract. The only way to see him, is-" Light stops talking when Cossette reaches out suddenly and slaps her hand onto the Death Note, her blue eyes piercing into Light's.

Her eyes flicker momentarily to Ryuk, who stands over Light with a huge, fanged grin, then she looks back into Light's eyes. "I have delt with demons before." is all she says.

Ryuk laughs out loud, though slightly disappointed she did not scream.

Amazing! thinks Light. This girl is more crazy than I thought! No.. not crazy.. she is perfect! She is...she's... He reaches out and takes her hands into his, meeting her eyes squarely. "Look," he says quickly, "I know this is a lot to take in, but I want you to know exactly what you're doing. You're-"

Leaning in her seat, Cossette breaks Light's speech off with a kiss, tears slipping from her eyes.

**...**

Misa walks over to Marchello, nearly skipping, when he gives her the cue to come over. Peering over his shoulder, Misa grins at herself in the portrait. "Wow!" she gasps. "That's so good! It looks just like me!"

Pleased, Marchello says, "I'm glad you like it."

Grinning at him, Misa asks if she could have it, please?

"No." he said immediately, closing the notebook. "I drew you for myself." he told her honestly.

This makes Misa laugh, and she suddenly thinks of Light. "Oh no..." she mumbles.

"What is it?" Marchello asks, seeming slightly irritated.

"Light..." she says. "Light! Oh my gosh, he's probably worried about me!" Misa digs her phone out of her purse, checking for any missed calls. None. Frowning, Misa complains out-loud. "Well, it looks like he's not worried about me at all! What a jerk..."

"That isn't nice to say." he tells her, disapprovingly. "Were you meeting him someplace?" asks Marchello.

"Yeah, at the cafe." answers Misa, glaring at her cellphone, waiting for a call or text that would never come.

"Put that thing away," Marchello tells her at last.

"Why? I just-"

"He's not going to call you." Marchello says bluntly. "If he was worried, he would have called much earlier."

Sighing, Misa shoves the phone in her purse. "All right... fine..."

Marchello takes her hand in his, and leads her around the cafe, saying, "I was waiting on someone myself."

"-you have a girlfriend!" gasped Misa, interrupting.

Marchello smiles thinly. "Fiance." he corrects.

"No way!" laughs Misa. "That's so weird- so I guess you're, like, cheating, huh?"

It took him a moment to figure out what the model had said. When he figured it out, he only asks, "And who is Light? A..." he struggles to remember the word. "...boyfriend?"

"Actually, I'm married to Light." said Misa.

Marchello slips his hand from Misa's, drawing back a few feet. "Then we should not be seen entering the diner together." he says. "I am meeting my fiance, Cossette, in there as well."

"It's a cafe, not a diner." corrects Misa, feeling almost sorry for the man's ignorance. "And thats okay anyway. It was nice meeting you! You should watch my show sometime."

Marchello didn't understand, so he says nothing.

Misa took this as an insult, so she ran ahead, saying, "See ya, Marchello!" regretting her walking with him. He didn't even pay me for the picture! she thought angrily. She arrived at the door, and peeked in, her hands cupping around her eyes to hide the sun's glare from above. She did not see Light inside. He's probably in a booth around the corner, she told herself. Maybe his phone died- that's why he hasn't called me or anythi-

Marchello opened the cafe door, and nodded for Misa to walk on. She walked in, blushing, then practically ran along the rows of booths and chairs, looking for Light. Marchello went the other way, looking for Cossette.

**...**

When he heard the door open, Light snatched the Death Note off the table, and shoved it back into his jacket, explaining quietly, "I cant have people see this. You understand..."

Cossette nodded. "Light...why are you here?" she asks.

What..? What kind of question is that? I'm here waiting for Misa- Light's eyes widen. "Misa..." he answers. "I'm...waiting on my wife, Misa..."

Cossette lowers head her. "Then why did you speak to me like you were not with someone else...?"

Light feels a sharp pain in his gut, and he grinds his teeth against it. "I wasn't!" he says angrily. "I just..." he stops, and stares in a mix of horror and compassion as tears fall like diamonds from her eyes. "Cossette..."

"...I love you...Light..." whispers Cossette.

**...**

"Light!" cries Misa loudly, her voice pitching in happiness. She bounces over to him and slides up against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh, Light, I missed you!" she says, nearly giggling.

But Light just stares ahead at Cossette, who nows leaves the table, her hair flying it behind her as she rushes to leave.

He wants to shout her name, bring her back- anything to make her stay. But there is a guilty stone in his throat, and it makes he choke; coughing loudly, Light turns from Misa, closing his eyes in pain. Damn...it...he thinks. Why did Misa have to come along? Why couldn't it have just be me and that girl?

"Light, are you okay?" asks Misa loudly, alarmed. Oh my God, is he having a heart attack? "It was that girl, wasn't it!" Misa suddenly yells.

Light chokes out, "No!" then reaches out and grabs Misa's wrists firmly to stop her from taking out her Death Note.

"I told you I'd do it!" shrieks Misa. "I told you! If you were with another girl-! I'll kill her, Light! I'll kill her!"

"NO!" shouts Light. "It wasn't like that! I wont let you kill her!"

"Let me go!" screams Misa.

Light lets her go with one hand, and with her free hand, Misa grabs a pencil and tries to write in the notebook inside her purse, knowing the other girl's name from her Shinigami eyes. But with his own free hand, Light punches Misa across the face, and she falls out of the booth, onto the floor. But Light still has her other arm- which is twisted from the fall.

"LIGHT YAGAMI!" bellows Rem, Misa's Shinigami. "Do not harm Misa anymore! Or I will kill you!"

But he ignores her. As Misa tries to get up, Light puts himself ontop of her, pinning her by each arm.

By now, tears are streaming down Misa's face, and her face is twisted in such a savage look of hatred, that makes Light's desire to kill her grow. "Damn you, Misa!" he shouts. "I hate you!"

Ryuk and Rem watch in sick fascination, trying to understand what has happened to their well-known humans.

Misa forces a wicked smile among her tears, and says. "I will kill you for this, Light...fuck the New World! I worshiped you for being Kira, for what you did for me! But I hate you...I hate you!"

Light's rage showed plainly on his face and his actions; he raised a fist up to strike her- but he was grabbed around the waist and pulled off, then thrown against the table, his head striking the edge of the table. With a short cry, Light fell against the booth, and touched the blood on his skull.

Marchello offered his hand to Misa silently, pulling her up to her feet, supporting her with his other arm. Misa gazed at him miserably, wanting to cry. But he pushed her lightly away, and walked over to Light, acting like he was about to kick him.

But Cossette ran over and stood between Marchello and Light, her hands spread out like a protective goose. "Stop it, Marchello." she said. "Please."

It was then when they realized that this was the end of their former lives: After what has clearly happened between the others, how can the expect to return as if nothing has changed?

Marchello's and Cossette's eyes stared into eachother, reading the other perfectly, yet understanding that it wasn't enough. With the elegance of a gentleman, Marchello steps forward, takes Cossette's hand, and kisses it. "Good bye, Miss d'Auvergne..." he tells her softy.

Cossette curtsys back, and replies, "Goodbye, Mister Orlando.

Their hands slip from one anothers, in no hurry at all; they know it is the last touch they will feel from the other. Their eyes meet one last time, then Cossette closes them: Marchello turns away from her, takes Misa's hand, and takes a few steps away, waiting for Misa to object. She doesn't. After what has happened, he is willing to leave Light behind.

Light stands up from the floor, and Cossette pulls a napkin from the despenser, offering it to him. Light puts pressure on his head, uncertain to how much damage he has taken.

They settle down into the booth, Cossette sitting beside him. She takes her black gloves off, and lays them on the table. "Let me see," she says gently.

Light removes the napkin, and Cossette's fingers travel through the young man's hair, feeling for the wound, feeling for anything extremidies. When she takes her hands away, they are wet with his blood; a drop of it slips from her wrist, tapping once against the table.

"It's not very bad," she reports. " It should stop bleeding soon. You will be okay."

"Are you?" asks Light, watching her work a fresh napkin against her blood-stained hands.

Cossette nods, then looks up into Light's eyes. "I am happy here. With you." she says. "I want us to make a happy world together."

Light says no more. Their eyes meeting, their hearts still; they know exactly what is going to happen next: It is time they leave, and begin the role of Kira once more.

**...**

Outside the cafe, walking with a careful ease, Marchello carries the striken, heart-broken Misa in his arms, him speaking soft nothings in her ears.

She broke down as soon as she was outside, and Rem looked on at this with a hard anger for Light. But when Rem demanded he should kill Light, Misa told him not to. To let him live his own life.

When Misa talked like this, Marchello believed she was merely convincing herself it was best to leave Light. But on this subject, he said no more.

Misa plans to give up ownership of the Death Note, passing it on to "someone like me, only smarter." When Marchello arrived at his apartments, having taken a house-drawn-buggy, Misa excused herself to the bathroom. In there, she told Rem her plans, also telling him to leave Light alone. Rem obeyed her commands, telling Misa he would never forget her. And that he would never forget what feelings he felt for her. Misa only smiled, gave him a hug, and told him not to worry. She was with Marchello, now. Nothing could hurt us.

And Rem, watching over the next few days, believed she was right. Marchello was a good man- it was rare to see that quality in humans... So Rem flew off to the new owner of Misa's Death Note, and joined her on her own quest to save the world- becoming, yet another, Kira.

**...**

Meanwhile, Light took Cossette to his own apartment. He gave half of his Death Note to her, and, since she insisted, slept with her every night- though never making love, Light felt more close to her than he had ever felt being with Misa.

Light showed Cossette every trick he knew about using the Death Note, and within two hours, (with the help of Tv, Internet, and just plain observation from the outside,) they took the lives of over twenty rapers, sixteen murderers, five kidnappers, and three bank robbers.

Cossette, nearly every day, thanked God himself for blessing, or cursing her, with the power of Death, loving the feeling of raining down justice on evil. But more than this, she loved Light.

And Light actually loved her back. This shocked Ryuk, and he teased him quite often about "the great Kira turning soft." But as the days passed, Ryuk became more serious, threatening to kill Light in his sleep if things got too boring.

But Light only smiles.

"Just wait, Ryuk." he says, calmly laying back in his chair, next to the window. "Once Cossette is ready, we will change this world for the better; we shall create a world free of evil, free of crime- where everyone is equal. Cossette had this belief that man would never change, but... Man will only be evil if they are influenced by evil; when all the scum of this world is scrapped off the streets, children will be able to play outside again; women will be able to walk their dogs without the fear of getting beaten down and raped; men will be able to stand up for what they believe is good, and not be torn down by the wicked men just because they are different..." his eyes close in thought, but he says no more.

In the other room, Cossette sits on the bed, hands folded in her lap, a smile gracing her face with a hidden secret. "My stone is my light; he has sacrificed his love of another for my sake; he has let his past life sink to the bottom, to the bottom...where no one will ever glance down at- because everyone is looking up, wanting to fly..." Cossette's eyes close calmly over her vivid blue eyes. "Thankyou, God, for giving me a Light to set my feet on the right path. Thankyou for Justice of which we are going to serve."

**...**


End file.
